Hogan's Heroes and the 'White Mouse' Plan
by laughtw
Summary: A tribute to New Zealand-born Nancy Wake, a heroine of WW2. Hogan attempts to take over a synthetic fuel plant, and keep it running for Allied use during the invasion. No pressure.
1. Chapter 1: Friend or Fritz?

_A series of entries in the memoirs of Colonel Robert Hogan... _

It was a fine evening in August 1944, when the men and I began one of our most daring efforts of the entire war. I had just sent LeBeau out into the compound to bring in a local underground agent. The agent – known to us as Fritz – had called in on the radio the night before to say that he had important information, information he could only pass on in person.

I was down in the tunnel waiting for them to come down from the dog-pens.

"Here we are Fritz, the colonel!" LeBeau came through first, followed by a stranger.

The stranger was dressed all in black. His facial appearance was common place – you might expect to see him anywhere. He could have been a teacher, a baker, or a butcher.

Then I noticed the well-oiled revolver that he carried, and the person he pointed it at.

Me

LeBeau had noticed it too.

"It's alright Fritz, the Colonel is with us." LeBeau then turned to me, "He's fine Colonel, he's just a little nervous."

Fritz had put his gun away, and now he said to me, unsmiling.

"You understand my worry Colonel. I am wanted by the Gestapo, and you know their reputation..."

"That's OK Fritz, you're among friends. Now, what was this about information? You said it was important..."

Fritz looked around, as though making sure that there were no Gestapo men about to arrest him the moment he opened his mouth. Then, he began to tell his report.

"A few months ago the underground became aware of construction equipment being moved to and from the outskirts of Hammelburg. We investigated, and discovered that the Schatze Toy Company had been taken over by the Nazis. At first it looked like any other war plant, but then convoy trucks began to ship in of all things, **coal**."

Fritz paused for a moment and looked at me like he wanted to tell me a secret, but wasn't sure if he could trust me. By now some of the other men had come down from the barracks to listen, and that probably didn't help his confidence.

Fritz made up his mind.

"Along with the coal they brought in other equipment. We didn't know what it was at the time. We wanted London to bomb it, but they became interested in what was happening. They wanted to know what was going on. Then the factory entered production. Trucks came to take large barrels away. As they loaded the trucks, a barrel fell off. The lid hadn't been properly fastened, and it began to leak _petrol_."

Fritz had finished speaking. The men looked at me expectantly. I thought it over.

"So will London bomb it?" I asked Fritz.

"No, every plane in the area is shot down and its crew taken to a nearby Stalag, Stalag Fourteen, I believe."

Now Carter chimed in,

"What about sabotage? I've got some good ol' demolition packs and firecrackers ready whenever you say Boy, I mean Sir! I can make that factory go _ba-ba-bloom_!"

"Carter!" I interrupted his speech. Fritz too was shaking his head, but at the question, not at Carter.

"Sabotage is impossible. The Gestapo has appointed Major Hochstetter as the area commander, but he does not control the plant itself."

"Fritz, who _does_ control the plant? He may become very useful to us." I said. I looked back at the men. LeBeau, Newkirk, Carter and Kinch were smiling. They knew from my tone that I had a plan.

"Dieter Huber, he lives in Hammelburg."

Now I smiled.

"Well tomorrow night he's going to have some visitors, and a few hours later _we'll_ have ourselves an investment in a German Synthetic Fuel Plant."


	2. Chapter 2: A Rude Interuption

_More from the __memoirs_ of Colonel Robert Hogan

Most of the men and I were still in the tunnel, finalising the details for our 'investment'. Fritz had left half an hour ago.

"Alright, while Fritz and I will be seeing Huber, I want Carter to be planting the bomb near Stalag Fourteen, and Newkirk to be ready to intercept any phone calls coming into the camp, and to call Gestapo HQ when the time comes."

The plan was almost complete, but then...

"Colonel Hogan! Klink's about to come into the barracks!"

There was no time to do anything but run for the tunnel entrance. I pushed men up the ladder in our hurry. We only just made it; there wasn't even time to close the bunk.

The door opened and our favourite bald, monocle-wearing krout walked in. He was followed by Schultz.

Newkirk, Carter and Kinch quickly hid the tunnel by blocking the two German's views.

"Ah, Colonel Hogan, Cockroach LeBeau. I have just received word that the Kommandant of Stalag Fourteen is coming here tomorrow to discuss possible prisoner transfers. They are becoming so _overcrowded_ with all the bomber crews that the glorious and illustrious Luftwaffe has shot down. And, as the meeting is to go on for some time, he will be staying in our guest quarters for the night."

I thought that this was good news, as this would remove the other Kommandant from his Stalag, meaning that Carter's job would be much easier.

"That's great for _you_ I suppose, Sir, but what does that have to do with me?"

Klink looked surprised.

"I would have thought that you would want to attend the dinner party I'm giving in the captain's honour. Fraulein Hilda will also being attending, and I was hoping that Corporal LeBeau would be our chef."

Now I was in trouble, I'd agreed to meet Fritz at Dieter Huber's house, and we had agreed to observe radio silence in case Hochstetter's radio detector trucks were around.

"Well, you can have LeBeau for an extra hot shower a day for all the men, but I'm not going to attend this time." I said it hoping that the cost of borrowing LeBeau might draw his attention from the bunk tunnel, and from my reluctance to attend. The last thing we needed was a suspicious Klink.

"Oh, well, _fine_. Privilege granted, I'll see you tomorrow LeBeau!" Klink said it, then to the prisoner's relief left with Schultz.

"That was close." Said LeBeau as the door closed.

"Yeah. But now we're a man down for tomorrow. You can't cook _and_ be with us. Still, as long as all goes according to plan we shouldn't need you." Now I turned to the rest of the men.

"The plan goes on as scheduled!"


	3. Chapter 3: Hammelburg

_Another recollection from Colonel Robert Hogan's ____memoirs_

1900 Hours, Hammelburg

Using a kraut uniform that had the decorations of a Luftwaffe captain, and with the company of Baker who was also in uniform, I arrived at Dieter Huber's house and waited for Fritz. He didn't keep us waiting long, and together we moved into cover nearby, to await Huber.

Nervously I checked my watch. If this took too long the entire plan would be jeopardised.

_Tick, tick, tick..._

Right now Carter would be moving into position, Newkirk would be on the switchboard, and Kinch would... My thoughts trailed off because at that moment Huber arrived.

I watched Huber walk toward the house. He was a short but stringy fellow. He wore spectacles that he kept pushing up his long nose. And he wore untidy clothes that were covered in stains and burns – your typical chemist.

I nodded to Baker and Fritz. It was time to begin phase one of the White Mouse Plan.

* * *

_An entry by Sergeant Andrew Carter_

1930 Hours, Stalag Fourteen

Well the Colonel had told me where to place the bomb, all I had to do was make it past the Stalag Two guards, set the timer, and then act as a guide for the rest of the evening.

It was 'a piece of pie', as I put it.

Couldn't have been simpler.

Or could it?

After all, I _had_ fouled up on easy tasks before. Even today, I fill with shame while I remember firing that flaming arrow. And missing. I'd hit the wall, boy, had I hit it.

And then there was that time Newkirk and I had forgotten to set the timer on a bomb. It had been under a bridge we were going to sabotage, to tie up German reinforcements.

And the time I got caught by a patrol and ended up in two armies at once!

And the time I'd forgotten to put film in that camera...

_None of that will happen this time! _I'd thought.

And with that, I raced past the tired Stalag Two guards, planted the bomb under the guard tower, set the timer for five minutes, and raced back for the woods.

Five minutes later:

Nothing. I checked my watch. There was no doubt about it, the bomb was a dud.

_Now what?_ I'd thought at the time. _Without the blast, the bomber crews won't be able to get out, and the Gestapo will still be guarding the plant..._

At that moment the bomb had gone off in all its glory, decimating the guard tower, and destroying eight metres of the wire fence. The White Mouse Plan was still on!

**Author Note:**

**(For all American readers)**

**The damage to the wire fence is around twenty-six and a quarter feet.**


	4. Chapter 4: Newkirk

_Phase Three of the White Mouse Plan, an account from the biography of Corporal Peter Newkirk_

The Governor's plan was brilliant! Well, except for one thing – Carter. But that was out of my hands, all I had to do was work the phones! Easier than brewing a cup of tea!

I called the Gestapo around eight. A civilian answered the phone, so I talked my way up the ranks until I got Hochstetter. Our chat went something like this:

"Major Hochstetter here."

"Ah, Guten Tag Major! I have important information regarding a group of saboteurs who I believe are operating near Hammelburg!"

"Why did you call me? I'm busy keeping a valuable war plant secure! Call the Hammelburg Gestapo. They'll assign someone to look into it!"

"But Herr Major, I believe the ringleader is Colonel Klink from Stalag Thirteen!"

Now that was the bait that the Guv'nor said Hochstetter would fall for, and he was right!

"Go to Gestapo Headquarters, I will question you there. But first I will call upon my good friend Kommandant Colonel Wilhelm Klink!"

After that there were a few phone calls about a mysterious explosion, fire and mass-escape from Stalag Fourteen. Their sergeant was begging for their Kommandant to return, but I put on my accent and told them that he was in conference and couldn't be disturbed.


	5. Chapter 5: Kinch and Entering the Plant

_A recount of the White Mouse Plan by Sergeant James Kinchloe_

2000 Hours, Hunter's hut in forest near Hammelburg

I began my part of the plan by sending out a message on a radio that I'd set up earlier in the day. It was requesting a bombing of a cannon factory in Dusseldorf. London however, had been instructed earlier to ignore this message – we wanted no air-raid.

But Hochstetter's radio detector trucks didn't know that.

Sure enough, after five minutes of transmitting a van came into view – they had taken the bait. It was obviously homing in on my signal. I watched it for a moment. But just then the second truck moved into view. I knew that there was one more detector truck somewhere out there, and I had to get that one as well.

I opened the back door of the hut and, with the radio, walked down the road a bit and re-started transmitting. The two trucks followed, slowly. I continued to lead them on. The trucks came to a fork in the road. For a moment they seemed uncertain on which to take. I could almost hear the discussion:

"Left!"

"Right!"

"_Nein_, go left!"

That was when the third detector arrived, coming down the left fork.

So I lead them up the right fork.

_New pages from Colonel Robert Hogan's Memoirs_

Dieter Huber had to look down the barrel of first his nose, then Fritz's revolver.

Fritz and I had simply walked up to him, tapped him on the shoulder and explained our intentions to take over the administration side of the plant, and let the factory continue to roll out batches of fuel for the underground, and then the invading Allies when they finally arrived.

"But how shall I ever explain to the Germans that I have given my petrol to the underground?" Huber's voice was filled with terror; I could tell that he would cooperate with us despite his fear of the Nazis.

"But how will you explain to _us,_ that you have given your petrol to the Germans?" Fritz said. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

Dieter Huber turned pale and promised that he would do exactly as told.

"Good." said Fritz, and he put his revolver away.

"Now, to business. We're going to go up to the plant and have a meeting with all the important members of the plant, discussing how this is going to work for the next few months." I had told Huber. I gestured to the staff-car that we had 'borrowed' from Klink for the evening. Baker had been in the driver's seat, with his collars pulled up to hide his face.

At some point during the trip Huber had tried to talk us out of it, but to no avail:

"You fools! The Gestapo is in-charge of security for the plant! How will you get in?"

I smiled and said back to him "With Hochstetter gone, and half the Gestapo men assisting in a search party for escaped prisoners from Stalag Fourteen? It'll be easier than walking into the Hofbrau!"

"Hochstetter has ordered radio detector trucks to patrol, you may have no radio but they're sure to see, then stop you!" he hissed back, regaining some fight.

"They're currently being lured toward their own headquarters!" I retorted.

"What if when we get there I reveal what is going on?" He asked, but with much less determination.

It was Fritz who answered this time:

"Then I shoot you. Simple as that."

"I'm sure that it won't come to that." I said it as a warning. To Huber, to be careful with what he said, and Fritz, to calm down a bit. Both took the hint.

We had put Huber in the front seat, so that the guards would know he was in the car – a free ticket in.

We pulled up at the main gates. The guards just waved us through.

We were in. But next we had to get out.

**Author's Note:**

**This chapter contained quotes from the book 'Nancy Wake SOE's Greatest Heroine'.**


	6. Chapter 6: A Most Unusual Board Meeting

_Another account from Colonel Robert Hogan's memoirs_

I had Huber lead Fritz and I to the boardroom. He summoned all the appropriate attendees and the meeting got under way.

"Alright, this plant is now under new management. I am Schultz Steiner, and this is Herr Wolfgang Hoffmann. We represent the Berlin Luftwaffe." I announced to the suspicious staff. They knew something was wrong. I continued regardless.

"Herr Hoffman and I will be leading the distribution side of the plant. Herr Huber will continue to lead the production wings. Security will be temporarily maintained by the Gestapo. However I hope to get some Luftwaffe personal in soon." I was thankfully noticing that suspicion was dying away.

Then an older man stood.

"Excuse me, Herr Steiner? I am the convoy route planner; Herr Bergerman. I would like to inquire where we will be shipping the finished product."

I thought fast.

"We will be sending the fuel to several air-fields around here. These are in classified locations that I will give to you shortly before shipping."

The man sat down again.

"Herr Huber, when is the next batch dew?" I asked, keen to move along.

"The next batch is an experimental variety. It will take around two weeks till we have the variation perfected." He answered, still looking at Fritz like he might want to shoot him.

And so after a few more minor discussions, the meeting ended. Now we had ourselves an oversized petrol station.

_0300 Hours, Stalag Thirteen_

"I can't believe we actually did it!" Carter always was excitable, especially when one of his bombs was involved. "Colonel, you should have seen that explosion! It went up in a big heat wave and went _boom, bada bada, boom-boom!"_

"Carter!" I said, trying to calm him down before _he_ exploded.

"Colonel!" LeBeau came over. "You should have seen Klink's face when Hochstetter burst in and called him a saboteur! Priceless!"

"Yeah, but tomorrow we need to get him out of jail before we get a new commandant." I said it in a sad tone. I wouldn't have missed Klink.

"Sir, I got the Staff car back into the motor pool without any trouble – Schultz was on guard duty!" That was Baker.

"Is Kinch back yet?" I asked Baker

"Yes, he's just calling the other underground bands to expect a delivery in a few weeks."

"Schultz is coming!" Newkirk warned from the door.

I thought about hiding – Baker and I were still wearing our uniforms – but we could deal with Schultz.

"Close the tunnel." I said just as Schultz walked in.

"Please, Colonel Hogan! Major Hochstetter took Kommandant Klink to Gestapo headquarters, and left me in charge! Stalag Fourteen has had a mass escape; and they want our guards to help! What should I do, _please_ Colonel Hogan?"

"Well Schultz..." I began

"Wait! Why are you and Baker wearing German uniforms?"

"Well Schultz..." I began again

"Wait, Wait! Don't tell me. I see nuthing, nuthing, _nuthing_!"

**The following chapters are by my own invention, and are no-longer the exploits of Nancy Wake.**


	7. Chapter 7: The Convoys Deliver

_A series of additions from Colonel Robert Hogan's Memoirs, September 1944_

The men and I thought that the 'White Mouse Project' was finished. The first batch of fuel had been completed on schedule, and was being prepared for shipping. Fritz and I, as Wolfgang Hoffmann and Schultz Steiner, visited the factory several times over the next few weeks to ensure that everything went smoothly. The entire plant, aside from Dieter Huber, believed our story and was hard at work. We had Huber report to us via phone calls, which I took down in the tunnel. The only problem with our scheme at that time was Herr Bergerman, the convoy planner. We planned to give him the routes the convoys were to take just a few hours before hand, to ensure that the secrecy of who the fuel was _really_ going to.

Fritz and I went up to the factory personally to ensure that the shipping prep was going smoothly. We met Huber and Bergerman at the loading bay.

"Ah, Herr Huber, Herr Bergerman! How goes the loading?" Fritz asked

"Most of the fuel has been loaded. The remainder will be done in around half an hour." Huber answered. He had gradually become less scared of us. I watched him carefully – soon he might be bold enough to reveal our secret.

"The convoys are awaiting their route-maps. Once they receive those, they can begin the shipment." That was Bergerman. With Huber's loyalty in doubt, I considered the possibility that he had told Bergerman to whom we were sending the fuel.

"Fritz, you have the routes?" I asked.

"Yes." Fritz pulled out five maps with clear instructions, written in German, and gave them to Bergerman. "Those are for the convoy leaders, the rest of the convoys can follow them."

"Very good." He left and distributed the maps. As he left, a workman came up to us. He addressed Huber, as his immediate superior.

"The last of it has been loaded, Herr Huber."

"Good." Huber turned to us. "Shall we inspect the convoys?" He asked.

"I'm afraid not. I must phone Stalag Thirteen, and organise a system of getting their guards to and from the plant." I said.

"You mean that you are assigning us _prison_ guards? Even though they are still searching for the escaped bomber crews?" That was Bergerman. He had returned from the drivers and had overheard.

"Stalag Thirteen has never had an escape. You must be thinking of Stalag _Fourteen_. The Thirteen guards can stop people leaving a place, they can stop people _entering _here." I said.

"What about the Gestapo guards?" Huber asked

"The Gestapo is being withdrawn. Their leader Hochstetter? He accused the Kommandant of Thirteen of destroying the Stalag Fourteen guard tower, even though the there were five witnesses proving otherwise. Including the Kommandant of Fourteen himself!"

As I said this, the first of the trucks had left, heading out to Dusseldorf, Hamburg and the Hammelburg Wood's underground groups.


	8. Chapter 8: Short-changed by Huber?

_Another addition from Colonel Robert Hogan's memoirs_

Stalag Thirteen

The next morning after roll-call Kinch got a message, relayed through London, that the Dusseldorf group had stopped the convoy. Dressed as Luftwaffe guards they claimed to be stationed at a secret air-base and took the fuel.

Throughout the morning, three more messages came through with similar content. But then Baker came into my office and handed me a message that was different. It reported that Fritz's band, the Hammelburg Forest group, had not received the fuel. In fact, they hadn't even seen the convoy.

There was only one possible reason that they didn't get the fuel – Huber.

I went through to the main room of the barracks and made an announcement.

"All right men. As you know, Operation White Mouse worked. We now control a German synthetic fuel plant!" At this stage I had to stop because of the men's cheers and Carter's recount of his bomb to Olsen who had been in the cooler at the time.

"Come on, pipe-down! Yes, you too Carter! However, to do this we had to threaten the plant production manager, Dieter Huber. Today the first shipment was made. It looks like Huber short-changed us. He may have told the Gestapo about our operation."

Again I had to stop as some of the men, lead by Newkirk, had began insulting Huber and his ancestors.

"Come on! Quiet already! Now, I'm going to call in on Huber and sort this out. While I'm gone I want a watch kept on the main gate. He might come rushing through it, with the Gestapo. If that happens the Germans will have put together what he said, and what Hochstetter has been saying about us the past few years. So I want everybody ready to evacuate camp. And that's an order!"

* * *

I radioed Fritz to say that we had to check out Huber, and headed into Hammelburg, courtesy of Oscar Schnitzer's dog truck.

Fritz and I arrived at the plant. We made a beeline for Huber's office. Unlike more administrative positions, Huber was authorized to have a lab space next-door to his office, as head of Production and Research. Huber was sitting at his desk in the lab. As we went in I closed the door to the hall, so that no-one could overhear us. Fritz closed the curtains to the window overlooking the loading dock.

"Alright Huber, what's the big idea?" I asked him, as I locked the connecting door to his main office.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Idea about what? Is this one of your crazy American sayings?" Huber looked truly innocent, aside from when he wrinkled his nose at the mention of the Allies.

"Fritz, why don't you try and give Huber an idea of what we're talking about?" Fritz strode forward as I said it. He leaned forward onto Huber's desk and looked the short chemist straight in the eyes, then drew his revolver.

"Do you remember what I said to you that first night?" Fritz asked Huber, who was going cross-eyed keeping the gun in view. Or maybe he was just looking at his nose, I couldn't tell.

"At what time? You threatened me at many times that evening." He said it bravely, but to me it looked like when we left, if it wasn't in a coffin, it would be to go to the bathroom.

"When we were in the car, and you asked what you would tell the Germans if you gave us the fuel." Fritz answered, in an even darker tone.

"I remember! I remember now!" Huber seemed to be saying it to keep Fritz from firing his gun, "You said, uh, um... To think of something to tell you if I gave the fuel to the Germans!" Huber looked relieved that he had thought of it in time.

"Good, so what are you going to tell us?" Fritz asked Huber, whose eyes widened – apparently he had been slow in realising what was going on.

"You don't think that _I_ gave fuel to the Germans?" Huber asked, suddenly realising what we could do to him in this nice, sound-proofed office.

"We don't _think_, we_ know_ Huber! We never received the final delivery!" Fritz said in a tone that made it plain that his patience was at an end.

"I did nothing to the fuel! _Es war Klaus Klein, der Luftwaffe Offizier in-charge des Stahls Nest!_" In his terror Huber had slipped back into his native German tongue. I only understood some of it.

"What did he say?" I asked Fritz, who was looking at Huber in confusion.

"He said, 'It was Klaus Klein, the Luftwaffe officer in-charge of the steel nest'. But what is the steel nest?" He asked Huber, perplexed.

Huber had calmed down enough to talk in English for our benefit.

"The Steel Nest is a secret Luftwaffe air-base. Herr Bergerman informed me that the last convoy group had been stopped by Luftwaffe men. They, how do you Americans say? Commandeered it? I'd thought that this was your way of taking the fuel! Especially when the other groups reported similar incidents. How was I to know that it _wasn't_ you?" Huber seemed to have sensed that we accepted his story and had calmed down immensely. Fritz had put away his gun.

"So tell me Huber, where is the 'Steel Nest'? In the forest obviously, as that was the route the convoy was to take. So where is it?" I asked him. We would have to deal with this base, and its commander, to ensure we continued to receive the fuel and remain undiscovered.

"I do not know the exact location. No, no, it's true!" Huber added as Fritz had moved towards him again. "It's where we were to send jet fuel, before you two arrived and ruined everything!"

"If you were to send fuel there, surely you know where it is?" Fritz asked him.

"No, that's Bergerman's department remember? I only run production." Unfortunately for us, Huber was right.

"Well 'Herr Hoffman'?" I said to Fritz, "Shall we go visit our good friend Herr Bergerman?"

"Certainly, Herr Steiner! I would be delighted to see him again!"

So Fritz and I left Huber, and went to visit the _second_ most dangerous person to us in the factory.


	9. Chapter 9: Discovered?

Due to extraordinary luck (or maybe I _did_ have ESP... ) We picked the one time of day that Bergerman wasn't in his office. We were able to walk right in. It was larger than Huber's main office, but lacked a laboratory next door. Instead, a small records room had been added in. I was more interested, however, in the far wall, as it was covered by a giant hand-drawn map. It showed all the way from here to Schweinfurt. I knew that this was where we should focus our search for the Steel Nest. I soon found the forest near Hammelburg, and the road that the convoy would have taken. Meanwhile, Fritz had locked the door to the office and was searching Bergerman's filing cabinet, for what? I don't know. Whatever it was, Fritz had found it, because he soon pulled out a folder, and began to look through the contents.

" I've got it! Look at grid area C18." I did, but found nothing.

"What's in that folder?" I asked Fritz, who was still reading.

"The planned convoy routes before we took over! They're in Bergerman's log-book." Fritz answered.

"Let me look" I said.

"It's in German." Fritz said back to me, but he gave it to me.

It read:

_Heute ist ein Bote aus der Luftwaffe hat auf einen Vertrag mit dem Werk vereinbart. Wir werden die wichtigsten Lieferung von Flugbenzin an den nahe gelegenen Stahl Nest sein. Sie haben sogar die geheimen Ort offenbart:. Im Sektor C18 markiert_

_Karl Bergerman, Verteilungsmanager_

Fritz wrote the English translation on the back of an envelope:

_Today, a messenger from the Luftwaffe has agreed to a contract with the factory. We will be the main supply of jet fuel to the nearby steel nest. They even revealed the secret location. Sector marked C18._

Karl Bergerman, Distribution Manager

I read the English version, then compared it to the German. Something was wrong with Fritz's copy of the number 18... Then I got it! The linked lettering on the German version made _look_ like C18!

"Fritz, check sector marked C**_16_**."

"There! 'des Stahl Nest' – The Steel Nest!"

"Great! Now let's get out of here before Bergerman gets..." I stopped. I heard voices, then I a key turn in the office's lock...


	10. Chapter 10: Colonel Eisenburg

"Quick! Into the record room!" I hissed to Fritz, but he was already half-way there. We hid behind a pair of dusty old filing cabinets, knowing that the convoy records were still on the desk. Knowing that they would tell Bergerman he had uninvited guests. But, luckily for us, it wasn't Bergerman. It was his hunch-backed secretary.

"Ach du lieber! If Bergerman sees this mess, he'll have me at the front like a shot!" He exclaimed.

The secretary hurriedly returned the file to it's draw, and made sure that all other documents were in their proper place. This done, he left the office.

"That was close." Fritz said to me. I nodded. After listening at the door for a moment to ensure that there was no one in the corridor – there wasn't – Fritz and I left.

As we headed out of the factory, we saw Huber and Bergerman talking with a man in Luftwaffe uniform. He wore the rank of colonel, and as Fritz and I were in uniform as well, exchanged salutes.

"Heil!" I said, jumping to attention. I heard Fritz do the same. The colonel surveyed us curiously.

"At ease, gentleman. I don't believe we've had the pleasure? I am Colonel Eisenberg." As he said it, he surveyed us, "Luftwaffe men, a captain and a sergeant. Where are you two stationed?" He asked us.

"I am Sergeant Wolfgang Hoffmann, Herr Colonel. We were recently transferred here from Berlin, section eight." Fritz said

"Who is your commanding officer? I didn't catch your name..." He asked me.

"I am Captain Schultz Steiner, Herr Colonel. We receive our orders direct from Herr Goering's Berlin headquarters."

"Herr _Reichmarshell_ Goering?" He asked incredulously. It appeared that my lie had had the desired effect. "He has ordered you here?" He asked

"Yes, sir. Too many war plants are behind schedule. And as this _vital_ plant was beginning to fail to meet standards, we now run the administration." I said, trying my best to sound official.

"Interesting. I am the second in command at the Steel Nest base. We test experimental fighters." Eisenberg said.

"So your commander is Herr Klein?" I asked him.

"If you mean Herr _General_ Klein, then yes." Eisenberg looked at us sternly, "No matter how high up your superiors are, you should call him by his rank. You should know this."

"Jawohl, Herr Colonel. Heil!" I said, at attention. Fritz, Eisenberg, and the forgotten Huber and Bergerman returned the salute.

"Dismissed!" The colonel said, returning to his previous conversation.


	11. Chapter 11: Plotting

After finally returning to Stalag Thirteen, I had Carter and Newkirk inspect the Steel Nest for a possible sabotage job. I should have sent LeBeau.

"What took you guy's so long?" I asked them.

"We would have been back sooner, Colonel, but first we had to avoid their minefield, dodge a few Gestapo patrols, and then we had to avoid being run over by the German Third Panzer Division!" Newkirk said defensively.

"Let me guess, you two went for a drink in the Hofbrau." I said

"Yes, Sir." They said

"And let me guess, those Gestapo patrols you mentioned just happened to be there? And now the Gestapo is recruiting women?"

"That's it exactly, sir." They agreed.

After evening roll call, I called a meeting of the men. We'd already drawn up a rough map of the exterior of the air base, so now we just had to probe for weaknesses.

"The entire complex is surrounded by a two meter high barbed wire-fence. There are searchlights, but they rarely use them because they don't want the place to be seen by any Allied planes. There are five-man patrols within the place, and machine-gun nests all around the place. The only way in is through the main gate, which just happens to be guarded by half the German army, and all of the cars entering are searched, no matter what." Carter briefed us.

"Do they search the supply convoys?" I asked

"Yes, every vehicle is searched – no exceptions." Newkirk said.

"Is there anything flammable? Anything we could set alight with a few over-the-fence grenades?" Baker asked Carter.

"No, they keep the fuel for the planes in a concrete bunker, away from anything important. The command building is also in a bunker. London's biggest bombs would only dent it." Carter answered.

"I say we get London to blitz the place with everything they've got. They're bound to do some damage."Newkirk said.

"But they'll still be in operation, they'll know that their location has been leaked, and it's a _fighter base_. They could shoot down all the bombers before they can do any damage." I said, ending that plan. So it was in apparent defeat that I retired to bed. I lay there turning the problem over, and five ten minutes later went back out into the barracks. Newkirk and Carter had started a poker game, and it seemed Schultz had just joined in as well.

"Sorry guys, poker is against regulations, I'm going to have to go over and report this to Klink..." I began to walk over to the door. The men had known that I didn't mean it, but Schultz didn't.

"Wait, wait!" He was on his feet and blocking the door faster than a man of half his size. "Colonel Hogan, please! Couldn't you forget it just this once? You're a nice fellow – you wouldn't want to report a man with a wife and five children would you? Herr Kommandant Big-shot could send me to the Russian front! Please, think of the children..." He babbled it, trying to save his neck.

"Well... Alright Schultz, just this once I'll over look it, but don't let me see it again!" I threatened. Schultz fled from the room, then returned for his helmet and rifle, which he had left leaning against a bunk.

"Any particular reason you broke-up the game, sir?" Newkirk asked me.

"Yes - I think I've just found a way in."


	12. Chapter 12: Planning

I began preparation for the sabotage job with a visit to the plant. I went straight to Bergerman's office, but this time I wanted Bergerman to be in. The secretary with the hunched-back was taking down notes for him. Bergerman himself was striding around the office like a king in his castle. He was deep in thought. He looked up from his striding when I entered.

"Herr Steiner, what can I do for you?" He asked in surprise. Apparently he didn't get many visitors. I wonder why?

"Just a few details concerning the next shipment, Herr Bergerman. When _is_ the next delivery? I can't seem to recall." As I said it his face turned sour. Apparently in a position such as mine, he would remember the date. Unlikely.

"According to Huber, the fuel will be ready on the fourteenth, and we will have shipped all of it out by the sixteenth. Sooner if possible."

"Good. This time I would like to supervise the deliveries personally, to ensure that all is at maximum efficiency." I announced. I said it in a tone that showed that this was non-negotiable. He thought it over.

"As you wish, Herr Steiner." He said, and returned to his pacing. I left the office, with my plans complete.

* * *

I returned to Stalag Thirteen a minute late for roll call. The men had stalled for me by 'hiding' Schultz's helmet. It was still on his head. Schultz finally located it, and apologised to Klink for the delay. I stepped up to my place in line.

"All present and accounted for, Herr Kommandant!" Schultz announced as he clutched his helmet tightly.

Klink stepped forward to address the POWs. "Prisoners of war, it may surprise you, but I do have eyes! I saw you play a silly little prank on Sergeant Schultz, a soldier of the Third Reich! This, as well as lateness at roll call," Klink paused and scowled at me. It seemed my absence had gone noticed after all. "disorganisation, and general insubordination must not go unpunished!" Klink continued.

"Using big-boy words now, Kraut?" An American corporal yelled further down the line. This was followed by applause, and further insults to the German officer's pride.

"Silence!" Klink cried. Slowly the men quieted down. "As punishment for these outrages, all men will now be confined to barracks, and the entire camp is now on brown bread and water until further notice! _Dismissed_!" Klink saluted the men, then returned to his office.

I was worried – Klink would now be on high alert for anything suspicious. But my fears were unnecessary. Just as we were returning to the barracks, Schultz announced that I was wanted in Klink's office. I found him at his desk, talking with Corporal Langenscheidt.

"...will be in command of the camp." Klink said to the German corporal.

"But Herr Kommandant, surely Captain Gruber would be more suited? I'm only a Corporal." Langenscheidt said to Klink.

"He would be, but Gruber is on leave, and Schultz will be with me, _unfortunately_," Klink said.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" I said, stepping forward and opening Klink's cigar box.

"No Hogan, come right in, not that _you_ need inviting!" Klink said, slamming the box lid. He was too slow to stop me getting a cigar.

"Getting faster, Colonel, but not fast enough. Maybe we should practice more often," I said.

"Enough! Dismissed Langenscheidt." The Corporal saluted his commander, then left. "Now Hogan, Schultz and I will be away tomorrow evening. And since Gruber and my other experienced men are on leave, I'm forced to put Corporal Langenscheidt in command of the camp."

"Going to a party I imagine, Sir. Why didn't I merit an invite?" I asked Klink.

"No, No, it's not a party. I'm going to Stalag Fourteen. The Kommandant needs my _expert_ assistance in finding some escaped prisoners. If he doesn't find them, General Burkhalter is likely to relieve him of his command." Klink seemed smug – confident that such a thing would never happen to him.

"Why don't you ask Major Hochstetter to help, Sir?" I asked.

"Hochstetter? Ha! He was in-charge of security in that area the night of the escape. His radio detector trucks tracked a signal back to their own headquarters! And Hochstetter himself barged in here, accusing me of being some madcap saboteur!" Klink exclaimed.

"I don't believe it! Now where would he get that idea from?" I asked, innocence playing over my face.

"I don't know Hogan," Klink said, in disbelief of the idea. "He must have been listening to rumours, you know what those krouts in town are like."

Yes I do, Sir. Well Colonel, if that's all?" I said, holding up my cigar. He lit it automatically, so caught up with Hochstetter that he didn't notice it was stolen.

"Ja, dismissed." We saluted, and I quit the office.


	13. Chapter 13: Jet-fuel Driving

Using the periscope, I watched Klink and Schultz leave camp at the changing of the guard. Corporal Langenscheidt stood at attention until the gates of the Stalag were closed behind them. Then he went into the main administration building.

I headed back into the tunnel, and met the men in the radio room. I took off my American uniform to reveal my Luftwaffe 'work-clothes'. I replaced my American hat with a German one, and regarded the men. Carter was wearing the clothes of a German Corporal, and he carried a parcel. Fritz was also in his German disguise, grinning in anticipation of the challenge ahead. Kinch was in civilian clothing, and carried a briefcase for his part of the plan. LeBeau, Baker, and Newkirk seemed disappointed to not be involved in the main operation, but seemed happy as they handed out our papers and weapons.

"So you're _sure_ that the krout convoy driver is out of commission?" I asked LeBeau, who had gone into town earlier in the day.

"Yes, sir. I gave him the drugged coffee four hours ago. By now, he'll be fast asleep." I nodded. I then walked over to Carter, who was fussing over his parcel.

"Ready?" I asked him. He looked up.

"Sure, Colonel. This is gonna be great! I bet that the base will still be burning by the time you leave for the plant tomorrow morning!"

"Great Carter." I raised my voice so that the Kinch and Fritz – who were throwing darts at a swastika - could here. "Now let's go."

We arrived at the plant in a staff-car that Newkirk had brought in for it's thousand mile check-up. Fritz and I led the way to the loading bay, as Carter had never inside the plant before. We'd left Kinch outside. Right now he would be nearing the Steel Nest.

Fritz, Carter, and I approached Bergerman, who was criticising a worker who was loading fuel.

"... many times must I tell you? If you load them like that, the fuel could leak! Do you know how dangerous that would be? This variant is _highly_ combustible – one spark could destroy half the factory _in minutes_! Now report to your superior's office immediately. Tell him he can expect to hear from me!"

The man looked ashen. Apparently this was not the first time he had been reprimanded by Bergerman. For appearance's sake, I tut-tutted as I approached.

"Disappointing... It is good to see that you were watching so closely Herr Bergerman. _Sehr gut_." I said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. Bergerman, although cunning, appeared to be quite vain.

"Danke, Herr Captain." For once Bergerman called me by my alias's rank. He smiled and said: "And who is this? A corporal, if I'm not mistaken." Carter stepped forward.

"_Ja_. I am Marco Boehm, the brother of one of your drivers – Nico Boehm. He was unable to make it in today, and since I am on leave, I agreed to fill in for him." I smiled to myself. Carter had practised hard to show a Bohemian accent. It came through well. I looked at Bergerman. He was thinking.

"You can handle one of these trucks?" He asked Carter. "Not one mistake can be made, and smoking is verboten." He warned.

"Yes, Sir. I've had much experience in driving heavy vehicles. Before the war I..."

"Enough! I didn't ask for your life story!" Bergerman stopped and considered. "Very well. You can drive. Nico's map is in that truck, just follow the directions." Carter nodded

"Heil!" He saluted Fritz and I, as we were higher ranked, and headed over to the truck.

"We will ride with him, Herr Bergerman." Bergerman nodded, he was busy eying his prey – a worker was smoking to close to a fuel tanker. "Is there anything else, _Herren_?" He asked us. We both shook our heads. Bergerman left us.

"Well that was easy," Fritz mouthed.

"Yeah." I said as we approached Carter's truck – now fully loaded – and got in. Fritz squeezed in the back.

"Have you got our 'package'?" He asked Carter.

"Ja, Herr Sergeant. I have it with me." He answered, keeping up the German act because a security guard was nearby.

"Good. Let's get going then." I said.


	14. Chapter 14: The Nest

The Forest Road twisted past many remote cottages. Carter drove past these, and soon large trees began to grow out onto the gravel roadside. I had my eyes fixed on them - it was the perfect place for a German patrol to ambush us.

_In a truck filled to the brim with jet-fuel,_ I thought_, a single shot could be the end_.

Then, as if to confirm my thoughts, there was a loud gunshot. I felt Carter jump in the seat next to me.

"Halt!" A young man's voice cried out. I couldn't see where he was, and my fingers itched for my stolen German Luger. Carter looked at me, and I nodded. The truck slowed to a stop. Out of the tree line two soldiers in Luftwaffe uniform appeared. Both carried rifles, one was in the process of reloading. The first man was aged around eighteen. His uniform was neat and he was clean-shaven. Even his boots looked like they'd been shined recently. He looked like had been born to be an officer, so it surprised me to see that he wore the insignia of a mere _Obergefreiter_ – a German corporal. The other man – the one who had discharged his weapon, walked with a limp. He was also a corporal.

"Was is los?" The first man, who I now nicknamed 'Little Adolf' for his apparent dedication, asked us.

"Wir transportieren Düsentreibstoff an die Stahl Nest Basis. Könnten Sie leiten uns?" Carter said in reply, slipping back into his accent.

"Let me see your papers," Little Adolf said in German, holding out his hand. Carter pulled out our personal identification documents (that Newkirk had prepared), and the legitimate convoy pass that Bergerman had supplied.

"All is in order, Herr _Unteroffizier, _Herr _Korporal_, and Herr _Hauptmann. _Proceed down the road, and give the daily password when requested." Adolf announced loudly, indicating the password on Bergerman's sheet of paper.

"Danke, Heil!" Carter saluted. The two men responded with instant salutes of their own, as did Fritz, and I. We drove on.

After five more minutes, we came to a barbed-wire fence. Every fifteen meters a wooden guard tower rose out of the ground. These were equipped with dormant searchlights, and a mounted machine-gun. Men patrolled the interior and exterior of the compound, which was shaped like a rough circle.

Most of the buildings within were wooden, but two were set in concrete bunkers. These must be the command and fuel-storage buildings Carter and Newkirk had mentioned.

There was a second entrance to the compound towards the rear, but this seemed to lead off to an airfield, rather than a road. The airfield was the only part of the complex that wasn't camouflaged, with the other buildings being painted identical to the colour of the nearby trees. The largest building was the main aircraft-hanger. The large doors were open, and inside we could just see the first aircraft. It was painted grey, and looked like it was being prepared for combat. Engineers dressed in stained overalls were going over it, and a fuel line showed that the tank was being filled.

We stopped the truck at the main gatehouse, and exchanged salutes with a German guard.

"Password, Herr Hauptmann."He said, addressing me.

"_Komet_." I said simply. It had been the word on the documents that Little Adolph had indicated.

"Welcome to the Steel Nest, Herr Hauptmann. Please remain here while the vehicle is searched." He said, expressionlessly.

Two men walked around the truck, looking for anything unusual. One of them bent down and checked underneath. The other inspected the rear, ignoring Fritz completely as he opened a barrel. He looked up, and nodded to the man at the gate. He closed the lid. The other man made one final check of our papers, even holding them up to the light. Then he returned them to us, and stepped back. All three Germans saluted.

We mirrored them. The two guards opened the gate, and we drove toward the concrete fuel-bunker. There were two more men guarding the entrance to the building, and they nodded their greetings.

"Help unload the barrels, _schnell_!" I barked. They joined Carter, who had already unloaded one barrel, and they started moving the fuel into the bunker.

Fritz and I then walked into the second concrete building, the command center. A female secretary, who reminded me of Klink's previous secretary, Helga, was sitting at her desk.

"Is Herr General Klein free?" I asked her immediately. She nodded.

"He just finished a call to Berlin. I will announce you."

She poked her head into the General's office. There was a brief conversation. She guided us into the adjoining office, then shut the door as she returned to her post. We were now standing in front of General Klein.

The man sitting in the chair was plump, but not as fat as General Burkhalter, and wore his uniform neatly and tidily, although the fabric was starting to stretch. My first impression was that had he been wearing a coat, he would look like a large walrus. He was looking at us through spectacles that looked far more expensive than Huber's, and his eyes were an intelligent bluey-grey. He looked at us keenly, like we were the best thing he had seen all day, and subconsciously itched the bald top of his head.

"Greetings, gentleman. You are Captain Steiner and Sergeant Hoffmann, I assume?" He said in a crisp, light voice. "I have the main gate telephone me when any vehicle arrives in the compound." He said in answer to our surprised faces,"For added security."

"Very efficient, Herr General!" I said,"We are here to deliver jet-fuel from the plant near Hammelburg. The Sergeant and I are travelling with the delivery to ensure that the mass escape from Stalag Fourteen won't cause any _accidents_ to the delivery."

I could tell from his eyes that he suspected something was amiss. But for now, Klein had no proof that we were fake, so I decided to continue.

"I hope that you will be satisfied with the quality and amount of the fuel. The next shipment should be ready for you by next fortnight."

This was Fritz's cue. He excused himself, mumbling something about checking on the unloading, and left.

Now I had to keep the good General busy while Carter and Fritz began their tasks.


	15. Chapter 15: End of the Nest

Carter:

One of the two German guards unlocked the door to the bunker, while the other helped me bring the first barrel up to the entrance. The sight of brand-new wooden support beams and fresh sawdust pushed into a corner showed that the place had been re-enforced recently. Wet concrete had been trodden unevenly over the floor, and smeared over a large crack in the roof. A half-hearted 'smoking _verboten_' sign had been stuck to the side of a wall, and _flammable_ and _corrosive_ warnings marked all of the fuel canisters.

The guards helped me get the barrel down a flight of stairs, then they went back up for the next lot, leaving me alone. Making sure that they were gone, I pulled out my 'packet' and began distributing the contents evenly around the room.

Then I pulled out the main bomb. I checked that it's load of White-Phosphorus hadn't leaked, then I smiled. This was going to be one of the best bombs yet in my career as a saboteur. I had specially designed it to crack the thickest of walls with the initial blast, and then it would start burning the jet-fuel. This could only turn this bunker into a large fire-bomb!

I placed the bomb on top of one of the roof supports, out of view unless you were looking directly at it. I lit the fuse with a cigarette lighter, praying that the phosphorus wouldn't catch fire and mix with the fuel until I was long gone, then I left the bunker. Pretending nothing was wrong, I helped unload the rest of the fuel. Then I checked my watch –ten more minutes to H-hour.

* * *

Fritz:

I left the office and nodded to the _Fräulein _secretary, then headed into the compound. I approached the hanger, and nodded to two sentries. They looked uncertain, but allowed me to enter. I walked briskly up to the aircraft being prepared for take-off. It had a Nazi Swastika painted onto the tail, and was painted completely in grey.

Two engineers in strange, thick-suits approached, carrying a small barrel of fuel, not made by the plant we now administered. I watched as they filled the craft's tank. It didn't take long, and it seemed that the plane would only have enough fuel to get airborne. The engineers took the barrel away, and placed it in a storage-vault in the rear of the hanger.

"Getting ready for a short flight, mein Herr?" I asked a young man standing off to the side. He, too, wore a suit. His face was scared – a long thin line traced down his forehead to his jaw bone. Worry showed in his brown eyes.

"_Ja_. This will be my first time in this aircraft," He said with barely concealed fear. "Only experienced pilots can fly them – and since most the Luftwaffe's pilots are new recruits, I'm one of the few to test them."

"Why does _this_ plane need an expert? I flew prototype bombers over France in 'forty, when I was just a new recruit. This doesn't look too difficult to handle," I said, realising that I was revealing truths about my past that had remained buried since...

"Ha! This plane can only carry enough fuel to last four minutes! And it is a jet-fighter! I bet you never saw those in France," He said, trying to say it with confidence. He failed.

"How fast can it fly?" I asked him with interest.

"Nearly one-thousand kilometres an hour," He said.

"Sehr gut," I told him. "I wish you luck." He nodded his thanks, and gave a weak salute. I returned it, then moved on. The rest of the hangar seemed empty, but I could hear pilots talking in a standby lounge at the end of the building. I crept up to a Me-109, and slipped a bomb that was set to go off in three minutes into the cockpit. I stealthily continued along the row of planes, inserting more bombs.

With five minutes to H-hour, I headed back to the truck. Carter was waiting. He nodded – his job was done. I straightened my cap to acknowledge him, and then climbed in.

* * *

Kinch:

I had pulled up my collar up to disguise my true identity, and now peaked through it, checking my watch. It was almost time to start transmitting. I opened my battered-grey briefcase and set up the radio.

I started to tap out the message Hogan had given me, meant for the bombers that London were sending over.

_Goldilocks to Big-bears, Goldilocks to Big-Bears, don't forget to turn-off the lights when you drop off your Big-bombs!_

I smiled, this message was hardly coded at all, but it could hopefully still confuse any Gestapo agents who could be listening in for at least a few seconds.

Around two kilometres away, the Steel Nest's fuel bunker and main hangar suddenly erupted into bright flames in twin explosions – the 'lights' from the message. When the bombers flew over in ten minutes, they would use the bombs as target indicators to get the exact location of the base. And on a cloudless night like tonight, there was no way they should miss.

Then I heard an engine in the distance, coming closer. A Gestapo radio-detector truck!

* * *

Hogan:

As Fritz closed the door behind him, Klein offered me a cigar. I accepted graciously, and we both remained silent for a moment, smoking.

"I met your deputy, Colonel Eisenburg, at the plant the other day. He seemed... well suited to his post." I said to the General, who nodded.

"He flew Stukas in the Baltic Sea, until he was injured in 1941." Klein said with a puff of smoke, "I had him transferred here to help with the administration. He is my best officer and a true patriot. He is currently organising battle tactics for our new jet-fighter, the Me 163 Komet."

"Interesting, Herr General. This jet, is it successful in combat?" I asked, knowing that London would want any information on this new plane.

"_Ja_. The prototype here at the base shot down a U.S. bomber just last week. The design is still being modified, but I'm taking the current plans to Herr Goring for mass production in a week." Klein indicated a sheet of blue design paper on his desk.

Then the first bombs blew.

The explosions shook the floor of the office. The bombs that Carter has set in the bunker blew the wooden re-enforcement beams to pieces and I saw the concrete roof of the bunker sag and crack through the window. Black smoke from the phosphorus bomb billowed out into the air. Klein staggered to his feet – we had both be thrown to the floor - and yelled through the window for fire crews to man emergency positions.

I got to my feet and glanced again at Klein. He was walking for the door.

"You are dismissed, Herr Captain!" He gasped, before storming out of the building.

As I made to follow him, I glanced back at his desk. It been overturned in the blasts, and now lay on it's side. The papers that had been on the desk – including the blueprints for the new jet - were scattered over the floor. I lunged toward them, and stuffed the designs into my coat. Then, a fresh cigarette from the desk in hand, I quit the office.

The compound was in chaos; men ran left and right, hoses and water buckets were being used half-heartedly against a far superior inferno, and pilots and engineers struggled out of the hangar-ruins, gasping for breath.

Bergerman's truck was waiting at the main gate, which had been deserted. Carter was again at the wheel, and he and Fritz helped me into the front seat.

Then, adding to the din, the air-raid siren sounded. The bombers were on their way! It was time to flee.

"Let's get going Carter; we've already had the Fourth of July this year! Let's have these nice Germans enjoy theirs."

**Author's Note:**

**This chapter was dedicated to the ANZAC troops who lost their lives in the Gallipoli Campaign of WW1, 25 April, 1915.**


	16. Chapter 16: Roll Call

Fritz, Carter, and I arrived back at the plant that evening with high morale and in good humour. Carter parked the truck in the loading bay for the next convoy, and we headed back to the staff-car from Stalag Thirteen. I was surprised to see Dieter Huber leaning against the door in his lab-coat, his features coiled in rage.

"What on _Earth_ did you think you were doing? Sabotaging the airbase! You'll have the Gestapo upon us in a matter of hours, and I don't see how they will fail to find out the truth about our operation!" He told us. It was plain that had there not been other workers nearby, he would be yelling.

"_Our_ operation?" I asked in surprise. "When did _you_ become a willing participant?"

"I became an _un-willing_ participant when you visited me at my home in Hammelburg almost two months ago. You implicated me then! If the Gestapo discover what's really been going on here, they will hold _me_ responsible as well as you!" He said to us in plain fear.

"They won't find out, I give you my word. How did you find out about the sabotage anyway?" I asked him.

"You mean besides the smoke? We were asked to supply men to fight the fires," He said to us. "Half the plant is there now, orders from the Luftwaffe."

"Well then, we had better get going," I said to Fritz and Carter. "Thanks for sharing your concerns with us, Huber, but we'll deal with it tomorrow. Until then, Auf Wiedersehen and _Heil_!" I added just to annoy Huber. He didn't even bother. He just turned and walked away, muttering under his breath.

* * *

We parked the staff-car near Stalag Thirteen, where Fritz left us. Carter and I entered camp through the Emergency Tunnel, and met with the others in the barracks. Newkirk, LeBeau, and Baker clamoured eagerly around us, wanting a blow-by-blow analysis of the operation. Carter was telling LeBeau about the phosphorus explosion when I realised that there was a man missing.

"Where's Kinch?" I asked Newkirk, who shrugged.

"We thought that he would be getting back with you," Baker said to me. I shook my head. That hadn't been part of the plan at all. Kinch had been to arrive back on his own - I checked my watch – nearly one hour ago. Where could he be?

"Boche coming!" LeBeau cried, closing the tunnel entrance.

Corporal Langenscheidt entered the barracks, and was followed by Private Schubert, a new guard in camp.

"Ah, our new Kommandant! What can I do for you?" I said, pretending nothing was wrong.

"Just a surprise roll call, Colonel Hogan. Be outside in five minutes." He said.

"We'll be there..." I said saluting them as they left. "...But Kinch won't."

* * *

Private Schubert walked along the rows of men, counting them;

"...Zehn, elf, zwölf, dreizehn..." He stopped at Kinch's place in line and frowned. "Where is Sergeant Kinchloe?" He asked the nearby men.

"Sergeant who?" Newkirk asked the German innocently.

"_Kinchloe_. Sergeant Kinchloe." He repeated, double checking the name on his clipboard.

"Well _I've _never heard of him, why don't you ask LeBeau up there." Newkirk said, indicating the French corporal at the opposite end of the line.

"Danke, Englander." He said, moving along the line. Just then Kinch appeared beside me.

"Someone want me?" He asked loudly. Schubert returned.

"You are Kinchloe?" He asked.

"Yes. Is something wrong?" Kinch asked, the picture of innocence.

"_Nein_. But get to roll call quicker next time!" He said before moving on.

"Report!" Langenscheidt demanded a few moments later.

"All present, Herr Corporal." Schubert responded loudly.

We were then distracted by the sound of an engine. A German staff-car pulled up in front of the office. Two men got out – Klink and Schultz.

Langenscheidt and Schubert saluted, Klink and Schultz returned them.

"Herr Kommandant Klink, I thought you weren't due back until tomorrow." The German corporal said in surprise.

"I _was._ But we were ordered back here to ensure that our camp's security is maintained during the aftermath of today's saboteur attack." Klink said.

"_Ordered_ by who, Sir? I thought that _you_ were in-charge of security at this camp!" I yelled across the compound.

"I was ordered, I mean, um, _requested_, to return here by the Gestapo. And I _am_ in-charge here Hogan, something you should remember!" Klink retorted.

"Oh I'll remember, Sir. But will the Gestapo remember?" I said, preparing my next come-back.

"Insolence! All men are now on bread and water!" Klink announced to the assembled men.

"Sir, we're already on bread and water!" I reminded him. He paused to think for a moment.

"All right then. All Jimmy Dorsey and Helen Forrest records in camp are to be snapped in two! " Klink said, smiling evily.

"Colonel, that's a cruel and inhumane punishment! I'll be reporting this to the Protecting Power. " I said, feigning horror.

"Do as you wish," Klink said. "_Diss_-missed!

* * *

"What happened?" I asked Kinch once we were safely back in the barracks.

"Well right after I sent your message to the bombers, a Gestapo radio-detector truck started tracking my signal. Once I gave them the slip, the base had been bombed and naturally all the Germans in Europe were arriving." He said, accepting a cup of coffee from LeBeau. "Thanks, Louis."

"It's good to have you back Kinch," I began, but was rudely interrupted when...

"Colonel Hogan! Lights out in ten seconds!" Schultz cried, appearing through the door.

"Come on, Schultz, can't we have five more minutes? Kinch was telling us about how he got back here after sabotaging the..."

"I want to know nuthing! _Nuthing_! You understand? _Nuthing!_"


End file.
